Toboe is Tired
by coffeebomb13
Summary: After a long run with the pack, Toboe is pretty tired. Slight TsumexToboe, nothing graphic. Just a small moment between the two in their journey.


**Hello! So this, as you've no doubt read, is a slight Tsume/Toboe fanfiction I decided to write up. I tried to keep the characters as true to the story as possible, so it'd be great to hear if I was successful or not. This is rated T just for safety, but I do believe it's actually fairly innocent. Enjoy!**

Toboe stuck out his jaw defiantly at Hige's teasing call, "You need a rest runt?"  
"No," Toboe said, "I'm ready to go whenever you are." He had promised he wouldn't whine anymore, and he meant it. In reality though, he could feel his calves shaking from the nearly uninterrupted run the pack had maintained for the last few days. His smaller stature and youth were beginning to tell in his pace, as he was often several yards behind the other three.  
To show how much energy he had, Toboe began to skip around, ignoring the leaden feeling in his thighs, "Come on guys! Don't tell me we're stopping already!" he grinned widely and ran on ahead. He'd push himself as long as he could.  
Tsume watched the pup, his face inscrutable, as always. He caught Kiba's eye, "We'll need to have all our energy when we finally get there. A rest would do us good," as he spoke, he once again regarded Toboe, a slight sense of concern shooting through him. He ignored it, as he usually did. Toboe was in no immediate danger, and he had learned that getting close to others was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Still, he was relieved when Kiba nodded, and signaled for them to make camp.

"I'm starv-" Hige began with a melodramatic moan  
"Shut up," Tsume snapped, standing slightly apart from the others. He stared off into the darkness, perking his ears up for the slightest unnatural sound.  
"We haven't eaten in days," Hige grumbled, a long suffering expression adorning his features.

Kiba laughed lightly, "He's got a point, Tsume. Come on Hige. Let's go get something to eat."

"Aw yeah!" Hige immediately brightened at the prospect of dinner and bounded off into the underbrush, his tail wagging insanely fast. Kiba raced after him, a white blur in the darkness. Toboe continued to sit on the cold ground, trying to suppress the spasms his legs kept doing. He gritted his teeth, a ferocious concentration taking hold. He had given his word he wouldn't whine anymore, and he had meant it.

"I can hear your teeth Runt," Tsume's low voice cut across the dim air.

Toboe immediately unclenched his jaw, "Sorry Tsume," he resumed the battle of wills with his legs, sans the clench.

Tsume stared off into the darkness for another moment, before sighing aggressively, "Your legs. They hurt."

Toboe vehemently shook his head, "No they're fine. I'm ready to go whenever you guys are!" he smiled charmingly at Tsume's back, trying to convey that he was indeed just fine.

Tsume hunched his shoulders tensely, then turned around and was at Toboe's side before he could blink. The rising moon cast shadows across the tan face of Tsume, whose light eyes and hair shone brightly in the silver light. Tsume crouched down next to the pup and examined the twitching specimens before him, before abruptly growling, "Why didn't you say anything earlier?!"  
Toboe flinched unconsciously, "I didn't want to whine...I know how important it is we get to the keep."  
"Falling down dead outside the city does no one any good Runt," Tsume spat, sounding unreasonably angry. Toboe lowered his eyes, and was about to apologize once more, but the sudden hands on him surprised him into silence. Despite his rough demeanor, Tsume had gentle hands, and those hands were busy massaging the overworked leg muscles.  
Toboe flushed slightly, "Tsume, you don't have to-"  
"Shut. Up," Tsume growled back, but it didn't sound as though his heart was really in it. They sat in silence for a while, Toboe feeling the pain slowly recede from his aching legs, and Tsume all the while continuing to work out the knots and kinks. While the older man worked, Toboe took the opportunity to study him up close. Scars, ranging from small and large, adorned the grey wolf's body, the largest being the old scar over his heart. His heart reached out to Tsume, sad that the silver haired man had had to endure so much pain to survive. Toboe himself had his own share of scars, but nothing like Tsume's.  
Eventually Tsume's hands slowed, and he sat back on his haunches, still silent. Hige and Kiba had not yet returned. Toboe stared at Tsume, feeling as though he could read the older wolf's thoughts. He desperately wanted to give Tsume a hug, to say something along the lines of comforting, but somehow the time didn't seem appropriate for that sort of overture.  
In lieu of the prior, Toboe settled for simply curling up Tsume's feet, basking in the heat given off. Tsume seemed coldly uncertain, as was his way, in how to treat this particular gesture of affection, but in the end chose to curl up as well, nose to nose with Toboe, until the two had fallen into a deep sleep.

**Hope you enjoyed this! Please feel free to review!**


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